1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to TR21, a member of the tumor necrosis factor family of receptors. More specifically, isolated nucleic acid molecules are provided encoding TR21 and variants thereof. TR21 polypeptides are also provided, as are vectors, host cells, and recombinant and synthetic methods for producing the same. The invention also relates to diagnostic and therapeutic methods using TR21 nucleic acid molecules, polypeptides and/or TR21 agonists or antagonists, such as for example agonistic anti-TR21 antibodies, and antagonistic anti-TR21 antibodies. The invention further relates to screening methods for identifying agonists and antagonists of TR21 activity.
2. Related Art
Many biological actions, for instance, response to certain stimuli and natural biological processes, are controlled by factors, such as cytokines. Many cytokines act through receptors by engaging the receptor and producing an intra-cellular response.
For example, tumor necrosis factors (TNF) alpha and beta are cytokines, which act through TNF receptors to regulate numerous biological processes, including protection against infection and induction of shock and inflammatory disease. The TNF molecules belong to the “TNF-ligand” superfamily, and act together with their receptors or counter-ligands, the “TNF-receptor” superfamily. So far, more than ten members of the TNF ligand superfamily have been identified and more than ten members of the TNF-receptor superfamily have been characterized.
Among the ligands there are included TNF-alpha, lymphotoxin-alpha (LT-alpha, also known as TNF-beta), LT-beta (found in complex heterotrimer LT-2-beta), FasL, CD40L, CD27L, CD30L, 4-1BBL, OX40L and nerve growth factor (NGF). The superfamily of TNF receptors includes the p55TNF receptor, p75TNF receptor, TNF receptor-related protein, FAS antigen or APO-1, CD40, CD27, CD30, 4-1BB, OX40, low affinity p75 and NGF-receptor (A. Meager, Biologicals 22:291–295 (1994)).
Many members of the TNF-ligand superfamily are expressed by activated T-cells, implying that they are necessary for T-cell interactions with other cell types which underlie cell ontogeny and functions. (A. Meager, supra).
Considerable insight into the essential functions of several members of the TNF receptor family has been gained from the identification and creation of mutants that abolish the expression of these proteins. For example, naturally occurring mutations in the FAS antigen and its ligand cause lymphoproliferative disease (R. Watanabe-Fukunaga et al., Nature 356:314 (1992)), perhaps reflecting a failure of programmed cell death. Mutations of the CD40 ligand cause an X-linked immunodeficiency state characterized by high levels of immunoglobulin M and low levels of immunoglobulin G in plasma, indicating faulty T-cell-dependent B-cell activation (R. C. Allen et al., Science 259:990 (1993)). Targeted mutations of the low affinity nerve growth factor receptor cause a disorder characterized by faulty sensory innervation of peripheral structures (K. F. Lee et al., Cell 69:737 (1992)).
TNF alpha and LT-alpha are capable of binding to two TNF receptors (the 55- and 75-kd TNF receptors). A large number of the biological effects elicited by TNF alpha and LT-alpha are mediated through their receptors, include hemorrhagic necrosis of transplanted tumors, cytotoxicity, a role in endotoxic shock, inflammation, immunoregulation, proliferation and anti-viral responses, as well as protection against the deleterious effects of ionizing radiation. TNF alpha and LT-alpha are involved in the pathogenesis of a wide range of diseases, including endotoxic shock, cerebral malaria, tumors, autoimmune disease, AIDS and graft-host rejection (B. Beutler and C. Von Huffel, Science 264:667–668 (1994)). Mutations in the p55 receptor cause increased susceptibility to microbial infection.
Moreover, a domain of about 80 amino acids near the C-terminus of TNFR1 (p55) and Fas was reported as the “death domain,” which is responsible for transducing signals for programmed cell death (Tartaglia et al., Cell 74:845 (1993)).
Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is a physiologic process essential to the normal development and homeostasis of multicellular organisms (H. Steller, Science 267:1445–1449 (1995)). Derangements of apoptosis contribute to the pathogenesis of several human diseases including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (C. B. Thompson, Science 267:1456–1462 (1995)). Recently, much attention has focused on the signal transduction and biological function of two cell surface death receptors, Fas/APO-1 and TNFR-1 (J. L. Cleveland et al., Cell 81:479–482 (1995); A. Fraser et al., Cell 85:781–784 (1996); S. Nagata et al., Science 267:1449–56 (1995)). Both are members of the TNF receptor family, which also include TNFR-2, low affinity NGFR, CD40, and CD30, among others (C. A. Smith et al., Science 248: 1019–23 (1990); M. Tewari et al., in Modular Texts in Molecular and Cell Biology M. Purton, Heldin, Carl, Ed. (Chapman and Hall, London, 1995). While family members are defined by the presence of cysteine-rich repeats in their extracellular domains, Fas/APO-1 and TNFR-1 also share a region of intracellular homology, appropriately designated the “death domain,” which is distantly related to the Drosophila suicide gene, reaper (P. Golstein et al., Cell 81:185–6 (1995); K. White et al., Science 264:677–83 (1994)). This shared death domain suggests that both receptors interact with a related set of signal transducing molecules that, until recently, remained unidentified. Activation of Fas/APO-1 recruits the death domain-containing adapter molecule FADD/MORT1 (A. M. Chinnaiyan et al., Cell 81:505–512 (1995); M. P. Boldin et al., J. Biol. Chem. 270:7795–8 (1995); F. C. Kischkel et al., EMBO 14:5579–5588 (1995)), which in turn binds and presumably activates FLICE/MACH1, a member of the ICE/CED-3 family of pro-apoptotic proteases (M. Muzio et al., Cell 85: 817–827 (1996); M. P. Boldin et al., Cell 85:803–815 (1996)). While the central role of Fas/APO-1 is to trigger cell death, TNFR-1 can signal an array of diverse biological activities-many of which stem from its ability to activate NF-kB (L. A. Tartaglia et al., Immunol Today 13:151–153 (1992)). Accordingly, TNFR-1 recruits the multivalent adapter molecule TRADD, which like FADD, also contains a death domain (H. Hsu et al., Cell 81:495–504 (1995); H. Hsu et al., Cell 84:299–308 (1996)). Through its associations with a number of signaling molecules including FADD, TRAF2, and RIP, TRADD can signal both apoptosis and NF-kB activation (H. Hsu et al., Cell 84:299–308 (1996); H. Hsu et al., Immunity 4:387–396 (1996)).
Recently, Human Genome Sciences has demonstrated that the TNF ligand family member Neutrokine-alpha (International publication number WO 98/18921) induces both in vitro and in vivo B cell proliferation. B lymphocytes are responsible for the production of immunoglobulins, the major effector molecules of the humoral immune system. Immune system related disorders associated with B cells include, for example, immunodeficiencies and autoimmune disease.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide cytokines similar to TNF that are involved in pathological conditions. Such novel cytokines may be used to make novel antibodies or other antagonists that bind these TNF-like cytokines for diagnosis and therapy of disorders related to TNF-like cytokines. More particularly, there is a need to provide Neutrokine-alpha binding proteins that may be involved in pathological conditions. Such novel Neutrokine-alpha binding proteins may be used, for example, as therapeutics to treat or prevent diseases, disorders or conditions associated with aberrant Neutrokine-alpha mediated activity.